The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-01-18
:. alive Grasses.

Grass again. 1 take this method of
ans ering many inquiries regarding my
opinion and success on grasses for Flor
ida and imported stock:
Ny experience with alfalfa, red clover,
Texas bluegrass, etc, has all proven to
me that they are not adapted to our land,
and advise those wanting pasture. green
forage anu hay. to not spend their time
and money in botherihg with these. as
we have Bermuda and Para grass, both
more nutritious than red clover for pas
ture, milo maize and kaffir corn for
green forage. and crab grass for hay.
which give the farmer and stock raiser
all he can desire for feed.
/ took six and one half acres of fat
woods land and pitched in. put it in Ber-
muda grass in the fall of 1885, in March,
1886, / plowed this up and ran heavy
harrow over it. Ny cattle did well in the
range urtil July Sth, when put my six
head of Jerseys on it, where they re-
manned until frost in good condition, and
came out fat and fine after the frost.
Last winters cold killed most of my
Para grass, and all could do with it was
to get started again. / fOolishiy plOwed
it up to spread it better, and exposed the
roots and the cold killed most of il, but
where it was let alone it did we'll. Ii
farmer would put ont from three-fourths
to one and one half acres of Bermuda
and Para grass to the head of cattle he
has, owing to the quality of the land.
they will keep in good condition from
June till December. tut the grasses sep
arately, for the Bermuda will take full
possession and rout out the Para. These
grasses take care of themselves and need
no care only once In two years : in
spring after all danger of frost Is over.
pillow up and harrow, and if desired, fer
tilize before blowing it pays TO make
land rich.
To plant either in blowing up land
broadcast, drop a sprig of Bermuda in
every two or three burrows of the pillow,
furrow cover it, or for Para stretch a run
ner along in each four or five burrows.
This is all. unless you run a roller or
heavy brush afterw ards to smooth the
land, in a few months you will lave "A
pasture. If Bermuda has not spread
we'll, pillow it up again Ill two cr three
months and brush or roll it and '.it's
there" Milo maize is fine green food,
and won't hurt stock of any kind. Cut
when four or five feet high and feed
green, or shock TO cure for fodder. 1t
at least three times az above. In this
way the yield is very large. Select from
two or three acres of fair land, owing to
how much stock one has, SOW in oats or
plant in vegetables. After this crop Is
off pillow up well, and if the ground has
been enriched, SOW from 500 to 500
pounds of cotton seed meal per acre and
harrow smooth; then leave to the much
abused crab grass for hay Cut when
the grass is in the milk, cure and no
sun too much. and fill your barn with
hay worth as much as Northern hay at a
cost of three or four dollars per ton put
in. The sun spoils more hay than the
rain. Cut the grass after the dew is off,
in two or three hours afterward have il
turned over, then before dew falls put in
large shocks: next day after the dew
has dried off haul and put in the barn.
in day or two if you find it not well
cured, don't sun, but take a fork and
toss it to the other side of the barn.
cured beautiful hay last summer in the
rainy season by cutting when the dew
was of, and before noon hauled into the
barn and tossed from side to side once a
day for two or three days. Here we
have pasture, green feed and hay as
good as can be wished for; next time |
put the cows in to eat u.-F. S. Moore,
IN Florida Dispatch.